Four different options have been trialled at the schools since September2007, with two schools each receiving either a free midday meal, a freehealthy breakfast, a second breakfast mid-morning, or a free mid-morningand mid-afternoon snack for the whole of the academic year.
The interim report, published last week by researchers at NorthumbriaUniversity, found that breakfast was the most beneficial in improvingpunctuality and readiness to learn and maintaining mental performanceover the school morning.
North Tyneside council's cabinet was due to meet on Tuesday to discussrolling out the free breakfast scheme to every primary school child at acost of 750,000 for the next academic year. The council alsodiscussed extending the provision of free fruit and vegetables toinclude Year Six pupils.
Dr Susan Carr from Northumbria University said, 'What is emerging so faris that the free breakfast seems to be the most important in terms ofmeeting our objectives. In our final report in July, we will be making acomparison between body mass index figures before and after the pilot.We will also be comparing academic performance and whether children'shome diets have been affected.'
Carmel McConnell, founder of Magic Breakfast, England's largest providerof free breakfast for schools, said, 'The interim findings confirm ourown research showing that a healthy breakfast at the start of the daymaximises children's concentration. We urge other local authorities tofollow this best practice demonstrated by North Tyneside.'